We Stand for Equality, Secularism and Peace

Invitation to an International Women’s Conference

Peace in Kurdistan is circulating the attached invitation to a major international women’s conference in Frankfurt on 6-7 October 2018: Revolution in the Making, as we strongly support this new initiative and would encourage as many of you as possible to consider participating. Women in the Mesopotamian and Middle East region have been struggling for freedom for a long time and we want to bring together women of the world to combine our knowledge, power to change, and our experiences. You may have heard of the Women’s Revolution under way in Northern Syria (Rojava) where an area of self administration has been declared in which all ethnicities are working together to create a gender equal, ecologically sustainable future. If you are interested to know more, the following book is a great introduction: https://www.plutobooks.com/9781783719884/revolution-in-rojava/

Please do consider coming to the conference to hear about the feminist philosophy underpinning such a struggle and to take part in the discussions, panels and workshops. You will see in the technical information below that if you can get to Frankfurt all other expenses can be taken care of, including food and accommodation.

To all the women, dear friends,
Your Mesopotamian and Middle Eastern sisters have been struggling for freedom for a long time – just as our sisters around the world. The social, ecologic and economic problems created by the patriarchal system – disguising itself in various forms over thousands of years – have grown ever larger. This system did not only deprive women, all peoples, workers, farmers and laborers of their freedom. Today we are confronted with the feminicide, society-cide, genocides and nature-cide.

Capitalism is in a structural crisis, and although it claims there is no alternative it has lost its legitimacy around the world. In order to overcome this crisis, the system revises and reinstates its fundamental pillars of religionism, scientism, sexism, feudalism, fascism and nationalism, and tries to present itself as the only alternative.
We, those who struggle, know that the fundamental common ground of all these paths is to further colonize women and peoples as well as ever further deepening of the economic, social and ecological problems.

Dear women,
We know there are paths beyond the ones that are presented to us as alternatives. In Rojava/North Syria, Bakur/Southeast Turkey as well as in other parts of the world such as the Zapatistas it is possible to see the struggle and building of the new. The building of a non-patriarchal system and a democratic economic order is at a reachable distance and has the potential to permanently establish itself. 21st century is thus just before us with the potential of being the century of women’s and people’s freedom.

Dear Friends,
For this reason, we want to bring together and combine our knowledge, power to change and our experiences in the conference “Revolution in the Making”, which will take place in Frankfurt between 6-7 October 2018. We think that as much as an in-depth analysis of state-class civilizations’ ways and methods used in the colonization of women there is a need for the revival of the resistance memory of women. We find it extremely important that we share experiences; so that we can be prepared for patriarchal system’s new attacks. We will thus be able to create paths, methods and perspectives that can match the conditions, qualities and needs of our age. So that we can organize ourselves and create our alliances from the local to the universal. Against the constant attacks of the patriarchal system we will be able to weave a durable network of resistance. Thus, we will have the opportunity to become an active subject of the most gripping struggle of our age.
Now is women’s time, now is the time to weave this future together and is time to make the 21st century the century of women’s and people’s freedom!Main sessions of the conference:
• The Crisis of Patriarchy and its Systematic War on Women
• Women’s Struggle for Freedom and Building Processes
• Experience of the different women’s movements
• Revolution in the Making – Weaving our Future Together
• Workshops

Technical Information:
Date: 6-7 October 2018
Time: 9am
Location: Frankfurt am Main
Simultaneous Translation: Kurdish, English, German, Turkish, Italian, Spanish and French
Registration fee: € 30 including lunch and coffee, tea; €50 solidarity price (Let us know if you have difficulties)
registration begins on 5th October at 5pm.Accommodation: Solidarity accommodation for a maximum of three nights by Kurdish families and their friends. We also have reserved rooms in affordable hostels

Registration:
Please register till 15th of September under womenweavingfuture@riseup.net. Let us know if you will need accomodation and for how many nights, if you need child-care and in which region you are living.
More information on the program and actual announcements you will find on our webpage www.revolutioninthemaking.blogsport.eu